


Hats and Feathers Blend well

by Giulietta



Series: Mari-nyan [8]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste Is Sunshine, Alya Césaire Knows, Alya Césaire Ships It, Best Friends, Competition, Denial of Feelings, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Kwami Swap, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug In Denial, Miraculous Side Effects, POV Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Pigeons, Plagg Being Plagg (Miraculous Ladybug), Plagg Cares (Miraculous Ladybug), Protective Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Regret, Teen Crush, Teenagers, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:48:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25609876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Giulietta/pseuds/Giulietta
Summary: When Marinette got Alya as a best friend, she knew there would be constructive criticism along the way (which is important in today's Derby Hat Competition)...... She did not ask for this feeling nonsense!
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Plagg
Series: Mari-nyan [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1745011
Kudos: 60





	Hats and Feathers Blend well

**Author's Note:**

> The AU has a slow built of Marinette realizing she loves Adrien.
> 
> (Similar to Adrien to Ladybug.)
> 
> Meanwhile, Adrien is sorting his feelings for his partner. He knows and needs to be professional, but he really really loves her. XD

Apparently, Gabriel Agreste (her favorite Fashion Designer) decided to host a competition to the whole school because of... Adrien? Marinette isn't sure either, but it must be the man's way of getting in touch with his son. A terrible attempt but hey! It's like her Papa in her first year, but her Papa came into her classroom and technically scared her école classmates.

Anyways, Marinette would never forgive herself if she doesn't submit a piece. This is her idol and this is a competition. Now... _If only inspiration comes to her then everything will be fine._

[ _Everything might not be fine._ ]

"Derby hats..." Marinette sat on the bench, staring at the base form of the hat. "Something original... And classy. Definitely classy to match Gabriel's suits. Why couldn't it be a beret or a top hat or even fedora? Pretty sure sombrero hasn't been placed in the Gabriel shelves yet.."

"There you are girl! I was looking all over for you!" Alya spoke out, emerging from the hall and walking down to sit beside her on the bench. "So what's your style? I've scanned the competition and there are around a dozen who wants to join."

"Not sure yet.." Marinette is tapping her foot on the ground, thinking and trying not to spiral. She may seem chill outside, but her mind is in shambles. If her nerves were real people, they would be screaming in a burning ten storey building. _Thank Plagg for teaching her how to look cool and confident as Lady Noire yet a nice and shy girl in real life_. Two differing _identities but same girl_? **The perfect cover.** Marinette glanced at Alya. "I've never made a derby hat before. I did search it's general appearance but knowing Gabriel, I have to make it compatible with the attires."

"Or you give Gabriel inspiration to make clothes for the hat!" Alya suggested and Marinette agreed with her friend's decision. She does want her hat to be original and for Gabriel to remember her creation. Alya leaned back, grabbing her sketchpad. "Let me see your sketchpad, girl. There must be something in here."

"Thanks for the help Al." Marinette muttered, glancing back at her phone since she got a notification regarding the cheese delivery. 'Plagg will be so happy.'

...

"Wow Alya! I didn't know you had such mad skills." The voice caused Marinette to fall off the bench in fright, surprised someone sneaked pass her without making so much noise. "Marinette? Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah." Marinette got back up, sitting on the bench. She isn't usually this flightly, but Plagg did mention this has something to do with adjusting to the miraculous.

"Thanks Adrien, but I can't take the credit." Alya nudged Marinette's shoulder as Marinette sat back beside her. "These sick designs belong to Marinette. Off the chain right?"

"Hush." Marinette rolled her eyes when Alya let Adrien have a look. "It's nothing big."

"Nothing big?" Adrien deciding to return it to her after seeing a couple of pages. "Marinette. You're super talented, the best I've seen so far. You seriously have a good chance of winning."

"Stop it you~" Marinette smiled, flattered on his words. Same person who's the son of her idol so double brownie points. "You're making me blush."

"I mean it. You're really amazing, Marinette." Adrien's blunt words and expression are hitting her in a very strange good and weird way.

"T-thanks..." Marinette used her sketchpad to cover her face and did Adrien laugh? Marinette mumbled, "Don't you have places to be?"

"Yeah.." Adrien says _when he continues to longer in their area_. "Maybe I'll be wearing your derby at father's next photoshoot?"

"J-just go already!" Marinette feels tingly and she dislikes how she oddly likes it. "You are distracting me!"

"If you say so. See you later, Marinette." Adrien chuckled before moving away.

...

'Is he gone?' Once Marinette hears the familiar footsteps retreating the area, she lowered her sketchpad. She squinted. "I bet he's scouting talent."

"Or he wants to see you~?" Alya teased and Marinette is not staring at her. The ground is more interesting to look at. "Come on girl! Don't tell me he didn't spam your name for the past few minutes. He totally did."

"H-he complimented my skills so! S-so he probably came here to check on t-the possible participants!" Marinette doesn't know why she's stuttering and feeling all weird. Why is she feeling this way? Adrien merely complimented her like any other guy. "Yeah.. The competition is starting to get to me. I don't feel too good."

"No. Let me tell you what that is.." Alya leaned down, whispering close to her ear. Marinette tilted her head to listen.

"You have... A **crush**!"

"NOOO!" Marinette shot out of her seat, outraged and clutching her sketchpad. "I do not. It was a spur of the moment. Nothing relevant (Alya is smiling at her.) I'm off to my secret garden of inspiration. (Marinette boops her classmate's nose.) This is not over!"

"I promise to keep it a secret!" Alya called out as Marinette ran off.

"There is no secret! There are no feelings-ack!" Marinette yelled and bumped a wall since she wasn't looking where she was running. Marinette rubbed her face, turning to head out of school. "I'm okay! Stop laughing! I'll see you later, Alya!"

...

* * *

...

"What's this about a crush?" Plagg asked as Marinette crumpled another piece of paper. He sat on her shoulder, munching on the cheese tarts her Papa stuffed in her bag. When Marinette's parents learned of Marinette's fascination to cheese, they begun giving her cheese-based pastries and meals.

"Plagg. I swear on your cheese that this topic is overrated." Marinette huffed, resting one hand on the pavement bad she stared up at the sky. "Thank God Ms. Bustier gave us a break."

"Oh come on kitten. You can't ignore your feelings forever." Plagg teased as Marinette let out another sigh. "Besides, it's nearing lunch time. I'm starving."

"If I feed you, will you shut up about this crush nonsense?" Marinette negotiated.

"Pretty much..." Plagg blinked, curious when a man walked in front of them in a strange way. "Hey Brie. Look at that guy."

"?" Marinette looked at the man as well, eyes wide open when she saw the man use a bird call.

...

The two cats watched the stranger summon a cluster of pigeons to his side, opening his brown paper bag with pigeons all around him.

"Happy day, happy day! Splendid is the afternoon day. Ah, Edgar, you fancy one." The stranger chatted with one of the pigeons. "Fantastic, dazzling performance."

"Scram! You winged rats!" The police officer, also Lieutenant Roger, shooed the birds before staring at the perpetrator. "How many times do you need to be told, Mr. Ramier? No! FEEDING! The pigeons! It's strictly forbidden. If everyone feeds them, they'll leave their waste everywhere!"

"B-but, who's going to feed my poor pigeons?" The man called Mr. Ramier whimpered and the officer glared at the man.

"When they head to those special pigeon houses to rest." Roger kindly told, but added. "Which won't let you get off the hook. All the park keepers know about you and they placed a memo to ban you from every park in Paris. Leave now or I'll call the authorities. Oh wait. I'm the authorities. NOW GET OUT!"

...

"If that guy had a Utube account, we should watch it." Plagg commented as they watched the man walk away in resignation. "He acts like a human bird. All he needed is a chicken suit and he'd complete the look."

"He also got lucky. Usually, the officers fine those feeding the pigeons..." Marinette tapped her pencil onto her lip, suddenly getting a stroke of genius. "That's it! Nice thinking, Plagg."

"On what?" Plagg asked, nestling back into her jacket. "But sure. I deserve the praise."

"What do you think?" Marinette twirled her sketch a bit in the air, staring at it in all angles. _In the distance, Sabrina is rapidly taking pictures in the hopes of getting one decent picture._ Marinette didn't wait for the answer, closing her sketchpad and standing up. "Meh. Let's work on it. We'll edit it later."

"Strange of you to assume I'll help you." Plagg finally came out again, zooming around his chosen. "Anywho, someone was stalking you."

"We'll worry about that later. Right now, we got a hat to make." Marinette waited for Plagg, smiling when her kwami scared a bunch of pigeons to get a feather. "Aww~ You do care!"

"I gotta get some credit." Plagg grinned, dropping the feather in her hand before snuggling in her inner pocket. "Now let's head home. I'm hungry."

* * *

As soon as she finished the pigeon derby hat in her room, classy pigeon derby hat, Marinette is then forbidden by her parents to head out because of a sudden pigeon craze around Paris. Pigeon craze equals akuma. Marinette decides to transform and head to where Misterbug could be... Which is where the Ladyblog comes in. Seriously, Alya is really good in hunting down Misterbug.. better than the police- Wait. Terrible comparison. Alya is in equal level to a Misterbug fan girl - _Terribly determined with a fiery passion and no sense of remorse._

...

"!!!" Lady Noire noticed Misterbug sneezing repeatedly, deciding to take a rest on the ledge. She laid on her side, resting one arm as a support so she can get a good look on her sad partner.

*Achoo!*

He keeps sneezing. His voice and irked facial expression seem very familiar to her.

*Choo!*

"Hey." After the sixth sneeze, she spoke out to catch his attention. "You seem under the feather, bugaboo."

"I-achoo! I'm allergic to feathers." Misterbug tried to stop sneezing, but he failed miserably.

"Ohh. That's baa-aAAD!" Lady Noire leaned too far and ended up tumbling down. She landed on her face (yet again) and quickly stood up to pretend it never happened. "You saw nothing."

"I-I (Misterbug almost sneezed, but he held it in.) will." The blonde hero explained the situation. "Mr. Pigeon is manipulating pigeons to do his bidding, taking park keepers in Paris. Bad news is that we have no idea where he is with-without achoo!"

"I have a plan." Lady Noire grimaced as her partner sneezed once again. "Don't rub your eyes, mouth and nose, bug. Feather allergies are usually caused by dander and/or dust mites stuck within the feathers."

"You can stay at the bench first. I can call you when I find him." Lady Noire isn't sure if Misterbug takes medicine for this, but allergies can turn very bad if left unheeded.

"No no. We can continue." Misterbug stepped forward, pretty close and he sniffed her. "You still smell nice.."

"I'm a.. foodie?" Lady Noire blinked when Misterbug rest his head on her shoulder. She honestly doesn't know how long Mr. Pigeon was in the air, but Misterbug's condition is pretty bad. "Ok. Just don't strain yourself okay? Here's my plan..."

"I'm going to dress up as a park ranger and get kidnapped." Lady Noire scratched his scalp, "Then, I call you up when I reach the place. Sounds good?"

"Sounds terrible." Misterbug pulled back, looking at her with a frown. "What if you lose your baton? What if the villain led you to a place you don't know? What if-"

"Fine fine. You can watch me on the side, bugaboy." Lady Noire scanned the air. "Oh! The pigeons are mostly gone. Let's put my plan into action."

"Is this your way of telling me you're a cosplayer?" Misterbug asked, trailing behind her as she jumped from rooftop to rooftop.

"Nah. I'm just gonna wear a hat and the uniform." Lady Noire somersaulted before jumping straight down to the ground. "Unless you want to see my fabulous self?"

"N-no identity sharing, N-noire!" Misterbug didn't have much force in his words, but Lady Noire can take the hint.

"Too bad~ I was even wearing an original!" Lady Noire isn't lying. After finalizing the hat, she'll submit it and wait with Alya at the bench for the results. 'Don't want to look terrible in front of my idol, do I?'

...

When Lady Noire reached the address of a past officer's last whereabouts _to borrow a ranger attire_ , Misterbug waited outside.

The hero is currently experiencing an internal crisis for actually rejecting the offer. _He could've not answered and she would think silence is a yes. ' ~~What was I thinking?~~ '_


End file.
